LittleLizzieLilliput

My doctor said it rarely stretches. I'm 15 months out and can do about 1/2 cup total food over an hour period of time. That's about how long it takes me to eat. If I shove food in fast and run, it's 1/4 or less that I'm capable of eating.

Took me like 3 months to sleep on my stomach. Though I had my gallbladder out, hiatal hernia and VGS.

I wouldn't recommend going outside your food stages to even test. Eggs are soft and easy to digest. But again, you are doing something really dangerous by eating solid foods less than 5 days out. Did your doctor not explain to you what has happened to your stomach and what can happen with your stitches and leaks?? I know it's hard but it's important to follow your protocol steps. You might be one of the lucky ones that never has problems digesting food. But if you are, and your stomach stitches/staples open, the contents of your stomach leak into your abdominal cavity and can cause months of ICU/hospital stays and death. Not trying to be a jerk, I'm just worried that less than a week out from your surgery you are already breaking your protocol and it's a dangerous time for you.

You should check to see if those numbers are since the surgery or since they did the liquid diet to reduce the size of their liver pre-surgery. Also, everybody is different. I was very disappointed when my recovery went 12 to 15 weeks and everybody else’s was about three. I had a lot done, my surgery, my body, all of it’s different. But as long as you stay focused on your goals: protein, water, vitamins and 10 K steps a day. Those are your goals every day and that’s where I put my focus. By around 12 weeks I was able to get in my protein and water, & my vitamins, and then I worked my way up to 10 K steps a day. Which isn’t easy. But I did it. That’s what I focused on, for the first six months. I did lose a lot of weight but I didn’t really weigh myself that often. I didn’t have to, my clothes were falling off of me. LOL I have a few other post where I put together a list of things that I suggest people do to remind yourself of all your success. I’ll see if I can find it. Has to do with making sure you run your hands all over your body and feel your bone slowly exposing themselves, measure yourself your head your neck your chest your arms your wrist your hips your thighs your calves your ankles etc. And then do that again every month or so. You’ll see where the changes are happening. I always say, the scale does not tell the whole story. You are going to do great love, I just know it!

are your bowel movements discolored and loose? Are you experiencing pain in your abdominal area in any particular location? How long has this been happening and what time frame did you give your doctor, if they asked? I'm concerned they weren't concerned. Sounds to me like you can't even keep down water.

Hi there! Ok, so you are still healing!! Your stomach had 80% removed, is the size of a medium banana and right now is totally swollen! Your abdominal cavity is still recovering, you are retaining healing fluids, and your body is still in shock. Just keep sipping sipping sipping and stay off the scale for the first month. You won't do anything but worry yourself. When the body experiences a trauma it goes into a mode where it tries to conserve its resources. Don't freak out, your body is doing what it needs to heal. You just focus on your goals and don't step on the scale. You are 100% normal! I think I barely lost a single pound in my first 8 weeks. I lost 100 in under a year. You'll do great if you focus on your goals, Protein, water, vitamins, 10K steps. Also know that it's a process to hit your goals, you can't just do it right away. Oh, and the water in your protein shakes count towards your 64oz of water each day. FYI.

I get mani/pedi's and a massage as a celebration.

My life for 24 months. Yet it took the docs that long to determine my pancreas and gallbladder were f-bombed.

Gallbladder and pancreas can create these bowel movements. Ask doc ASAP if you get nausea as well.

I'm pretty sure that's not what people are saying. They are saying that the main page is for those who are in a desperate place and joking/sarcasm can be misinterpreted. I'm not autistic and I know humor is needed. We are just saying that jokingly telling someone you eat 2 lbs of beef 3 weeks after surgery isn't really a "joke" if nobody knows you are joking and people take you serious. People can die from complications from this surgery. I guess if making a joke is more important than people living, than yeah, humor rates as the top priority here then...

You are not even done with your 12 weeks recovery are you? I'm confused over the nature of your question. You appear to be doing great. What is your concern? That you aren't dropping a lb a day? You need to allow your body to heal and recover, you are still retaining fluids, your body is still healing and knitting itself together. I mean, are you even on sold foods yet? No need to panic!! lol! I think you are becoming a bit impatient. Maybe put away your scale. Focus on hitting your numbers. Protein, water, 10K steps a day, your vitamins. Then only step on the scale every two weeks. Also measure yourself. Your head, neck, biceps, wrists, breasts, waist, hips, thighs, calves, ankles, then do it again once a month. Go out and walk, see how much lighter you feel? How moving feels GOOD? These are all things you can do to measure your success without getting on a scale. It's super important to your long-term motivation. You need to find other ways to note your success other than the scale. Because the truth is we spend more time not losing weight than we do losing weight during this process. But our bodies are ALWAYS changing.

I started at 375, I'm 5'1". I lost about 120 lbs doing a liquid diet. I was about 250 on my surgery date and I am currently a little under 150. I lost about 100 lbs in 16 months but I went down 15 sizes and built a lot of muscle. I'm currently a size 8. And that's WITH all my extra skin. lol! I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think humor is important but it's also dangerous here. People can't necessarily tell the difference between sarcasm and actual advice. We have people who are in need of real information and while I totally love humor and joking (I am always joking and laughing in my real life) we have to remember the seriousness of what people are doing. Recently we had a woman who is only 5 days post op eating over 20ozs. If someone replied to her with a sarcastic joking comment it could lead her towards doing even more damage to herself. There are areas here where humor and off-topic stuff happens and that is probably where my satirical threads should go. This forum is for people who need advise, who are worried, scared, etc. I love the concept I'm just not sure this particular forum is the right place for it. I'm more worried about people's health than humor on this particular forum on BarriatricPal.

I like to tell people that this is a process where you are healing as you are slowly going through the differnt food stages. As you slowly move through them you slowly are healing and things get better. It took me a good 12 weeks to find a new way of doing things and my new normal. I think at 6 months I felt really good in my processes and had almost no more pains. Some people on here it's like they didn't even have surgery, they are back to their full normal lives within 2 days. Than there are most of us who experience weeks of recovery and adjustment. It's OK, Look, I cried for 7 days after my 4th week. Well, Trump got elected so that was part of it - I didn't have the emotional strength to deal with that hell. But I was also dealing with my healing and life and everything else. So I cried for a week. Then I picked myself up and just kept moving forward. I got into treatment with a therapist, I focus on my goals of protein, water, 10K steps and vitamins. It will be OK!! You will be OK!!

That's from the saline and the fact that you had major surgery and your body is swollen. Saline automatically causes fluid retention in your body. Additionally, if you were so dehydrated than their weightloss numbers were not accurate. You need to be fully hydrated to be healthy, so part of your weightloss was actually water loss it seems and it had to be replaced. But don't fret!!! This is just the beginning and you've been given all the tools you need. Now you just need to wait as your body heals over these next 6 weeks. Focus on getting to the point you are meeting your protocol to a T: Protein, water, vitamins, 10K steps. The rest will fall into place! Don't overly focus on the scale, there is way more to your story than just the scale. Measure from your head to ankles and then redo once a month (don't over to it or else you won't be giving yourself enough time to drop inches and you might get discouraged). Enjoy how much easier it is to move - and the more you move the more you want to move!! Try to keep focused on the positive stuff, there is going to be lots of stalls, pauses and things that don't' make sense. The body is a confusing thing!!

not really. I'd start to question your scale. Or did you had those days diarrhea and didn't rehydrate? Otherwise, no, it's not really something normal at all.

My doc was fine with me reintroducing alcohol after my 12 month follow-up. No binge drinking mind you, but with-in reason is absolutely fine he said. I follow all my guidelines and am doing well so far. I don't really break the "rules" on this stuff cause I get sick if I don't follow the protocol.

I'm confused on why you've eaten so much and insist on testing your stomach and refusing to follow your doctor's orders. I am fearful for you and the choices you are making. Did you have any guidance or guidelines provided to you prior to surgery!!!!?????!?!?!?! I am quite concerned. I say this will love and care, you need to stop testing your stomach, you need to start listening to your surgeon. I don't mean to scare you but you are playing with your own life here...

That is not an easy answer for me to provide. It depended on how far out I was from my surgery and what else I've eaten. So for me, now that I'm fully healed, I can eat Chicken and pork no problem! Those are the two that I am guaranteed to have a satisfying and non-food-sickies feeling afterwards. If you are looking for a 100% promise those are the two. Everything else could make me feel sick depending on the context/situation around what I'm eating. How rich it is, how much i've already eaten, how many carbs, etc. It's all a balancing act with me. Oh, and cereal. Apparently I can eat copious quantities of dry cereal (No milk because milk makes me sick now). lol! I'm not upset about this.

I'd base it on your pain level and how ill you feel. It sounds like you have a lot medical history here and I don't want to lead you down the wrong path. I think doing what you feels is right is the way to go. I'm just kind of spit balling ideas here so don't take this as anything more than that. I think you should definately contact your surgeons office and if you feel like you need to go to the ER than you should. Good Luck!!

Do you still have your gallbladder? opps, just read the part where you had it taken out. Gastroparesis may be possible but I'd ask for an upper GI endoscopy, maybe a CT scan to check out your other organs, have your Pancreatic enzymes checked as well. Are you experiencing back pain too? Fever? High white blood cell count? Have them check your pancreatic enzymes and your triglycerides. Cause I'm leaning more towards that than Gastroparesis, not that I know anything really.

Oh, and good luck!! I hope you are feeling better soon! I just want to make sure you get help right away and that can only happen by contacting your surgeon's office or your general practitioner.

You should direct these questions to your surgeon's office. Anything of this nature should be answered by your doctors. You could have some serious or non-serious issue and we won't know. Best advice you will get is: Call your surgeon's office, it's their job to help you with this.

I'm 16 months post op, I can eat soft chicken, pork, seafood - that's it. Anything other animal protein causes a food sickness. I guess like dumping syndrome but I don't know for sure. First my stomach starts feeling uncomfortable, then I start this breathing thing, then it either stops or gets far worse and I have to go into my room, strip everything off so I have nothing against my abdomen, then I have to get into a position where the uncomfortable-ness is at it's least and then I fall asleep once the breathing subsides. I can sleep for 20 minutes to 10 hours. My surgeon thinks it's because I eat sugar but it can happen with veggies, with proteins, etc. I dont' know why, maybe because I had my gallbladder out? Maybe because I'm me? I have no idea. I just live with it. And I'd much rather this than to be obese. I also consider it a positive thing in many ways because it prevents me from eating crap - Potato Chips? Oh, no thank you, I'd rather not have to go to my car and curl up into the back seat for 6 hours, but thank you!! lol! I haven't heard of anyone else having this so I kind of thought it was just me. lol!

It depends on your body, the amount of weight you have to loose and what you consider "noticing" it. The less you have to lose the faster you will see the changes, measure your body right now: Head, neck, breasts, biceps, forearms, wrist, waist, hips, thighs, calves, ankles. Then check every 4 weeks. Remember to follow your protocol to a T: Protein, water, vitamins and 10K steps. You do that and the rest will fall in line.